Father stabs daughter in caste row

Elsewhere in Kerala, families and local residents celebrate inter-caste marriage

Ayoung woman in Kerala was killed by her own father because she married a man from a ‘lower’ caste, while two other families belonging to separate castes set a shining example by celebrating the wedding of their children.

Last Friday, a 27-year-old army man, identified as Brijesh, was left shattered after hearing of the horrific killing of his fiancee, 21-year-old Athira, by her father, Rajan, on their wedding eve.

Rajan’s family is classified among the ‘other backward castes’ or OBCs as they are widely known in India. He admitted to police after his arrest that he could not accept his daughter marrying someone from the Dalit community, to which Brijesh belonged.

Heated arguments

There had been heated arguments between Rajan and Athira ever since she revealed her decision to marry Brijesh, and on one occasion police had summoned the family to discuss the issue. Athira continued to be petrified of her father, and only a few hours before she was stabbed by her father she had told Brijesh that she feared harm from him.

After the knife assault, Athira was rushed to Kozhikode Medical College Hospital, but she could not be saved. She had been working as a laboratory technician in a hospital in Manjeri.

In stark contrast, an intercaste marriage was celebrated at Vythiri in north Kerala on Sunday.

Akhesh Chandran, a painter belonging to the Thiya community and A. Akhila from the Paniya community got married, witnessed by their parents, families and friends.

Local residents joined in the celebrations and even provided the wedding dress and jewellery, local media reported.